Sir Terry Pratchett's Agent + New British Books This Week

June 14, 2025

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I came across a lovely piece on the BBC website this week that I thought might interest some of you—especially those who count themselves among the many fans of Sir Terry Pratchett.

It’s been ten years since his passing, and in this article, his longtime friend and agent Colin Smythe reflects on their decades of collaboration. From the early days of The Carpet People to the Discworld phenomenon, it’s a nice glimpse into the life of one of Britain’s most beloved authors. [Read it HERE].

And if you like that, you may also like this 1992 interview with Sir Terry from the BBC Archives on the topic of making fantasy funny.

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New British Books This Week

Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver

When a washed-up actress is hired to pose as a reclusive romance novelist on a summer book tour, sparks fly with the agent behind the scheme—and as the charade grows, so do the chances for a real-life love story.

Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)

Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall

When a pub owner is found murdered in the middle of a quiet coastal village, Detective Nicola Bridge must dig into her hometown’s dark secrets—before the storybook charm of Fleetcombe unravels into something far more sinister.

Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)

Days of Light by Megan Hunter

Spanning six decades, Days of Light follows Ivy from a fateful Easter Sunday in 1938 through war, loss, and longing, as she seeks truth, love, and meaning in a rapidly changing England.

Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)

A Botanist’s Guide to Rituals & Revenge by Kate Khavari

When botanist Saffron Everleigh returns home to care for her ailing grandfather, she’s drawn into a web of family tension, espionage, and spiritual deception—where uncovering the truth may cost her everything.

Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)

The English Masterpiece by Katherine Reay

In 1970s London, rising art curator Lily sparks scandal when she declares a Picasso masterpiece a forgery—setting off a high-stakes race through a world of glamour, secrets, and lies to uncover the truth before her career and freedom are destroyed.

Courier of Death by Cara Devlin

Still reeling from her own tragedy, Leonora Spencer joins forces with the detective she no longer trusts to clear a wrongly accused suffragist—only to uncover a deadly conspiracy tied to a London crime syndicate and a bombing that shakes Scotland Yard to its core.

Get it: Amazon

Knave of Diamonds by Laurie R King

When Mary Russell’s long-lost uncle reappears with ties to the unsolved theft of the Irish Crown Jewels, she’s drawn into a tangled web of family loyalty, political scandal, and a case even Sherlock Holmes couldn’t crack.

Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)

The House of Two Sisters by Rachel Louise Driscoll

In 1887 Essex, Clementine deciphers a cursed amulet that brings tragedy to her family—five years later, she journeys to Egypt to return it, hoping to undo the past before it claims everything she has left.

Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)

Murder in the Lakes by Rachel Amphlett

When a bride’s mother hires private detective Melody Harper to go undercover at a Lake District hen party, a vanished ex-fiancée and a bridesmaid’s murder turn "happily ever after" into a race to catch a killer—before Melody becomes the next victim.

Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)

The Ladies of Llanfairpwll by LK Wilde

In 1915 Wales, reclusive Angharad Williams finds friendship and purpose in the pioneering Women's Institute—until her brother threatens to expose her secrets and destroy the new life she’s built.

Get it: Amazon

A Murder for Miss Hortense by Mel Pennant

In the winter of 1313, royal clerk Sir Hugh Corbett faces a deadly foe known only as the Immortal—who’s hunting down those behind a notorious thief’s execution, and has sworn vengeance that could shake the English court to its core.

Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)

The Cygnet Prince by GJ Williams

In 1562, as scandal and treason threaten Elizabeth’s court, Doctor John Dee and his apprentice Margaretta must uncover the truth behind a mysterious prince who claims to be Henry VIII’s rightful heir—before a deadly plot topples the Tudor throne.

Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)

The Haunting of Myvern Manor by Amy Cross

When a sinister presence haunts the remote Myvern Manor, Rose Radcliffe reunites her fractured team for one final investigation—only to uncover a darkness more dangerous than any ghost they’ve faced before.

Get it: Amazon

“Some pirates achieved immortality by great deeds of cruelty or derring-do. Some achieved immortality by amassing great wealth. But the captain had long ago decided that he would, on the whole, prefer to achieve immortality by not dying.”

Sir Terry Pratchett, The Colour of Magic

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